Trivia question for Nov-21-2011

Olivia picked these guys.  When I asked her why, she said they always look like they are sad.  Did you know that the female produces two strengths of milk?  One is low-fat for the embryo and the other is high-fat for the joey.

These kangaroos will associate in small groups of 2-4 members. The most common groups are females with young-at-foot. In areas with higher densities of kangaroos, females coalesce in larger groups usually with one male. Membership of these groups is very flexible, and males (boomers) are not territorial, fighting only over females (flyers) that come into heat. Males develop proportionately much larger shoulders and arms than females. Most agonistic interactions occur between young males, which engage in ritualized fighting known as boxing. They usually stand up on their hind limbs and attempt to push their opponent off balance by jabbing him or locking forearms. If the fight escalates, they will begin to kick each other. Using their tail to support their weight, they deliver kicks with their powerful hind legs.

So here are Olivia’s questions:  Tell us what kind of kangaroo this is and tell us how long it takes an embreo to climb from the birth canal to the pouch?  Also, tell us what a large group of kangaroos are called?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations goes out to both Jen Dowdy from Paducah, Kentucky for identifying the kangaroo we featured correctly and to Kath Preiss from Whyalla, South Australia, Australia for answering the part about the embryo correctly.  The brightly colored kangaroo is known as the Red Kangaroo.  The Red Kangaroo is the largest of all living species of kangaroos (The extinct Procoptodon was larger), the largest mammal native to Australia, and the largest surviving marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests.

An embryo climbs from the birth canal to the pouch in only three minutes or so, and as Kath put it ‘no mean feat when you consider they do this naked and blind!”  Females nurture their joey’s in a pouch on her belly, where it suckles and is protected for more than 21 weeks before first emerging.  A large group of these guys is called a ‘mob’ and they can wreak havoc on motorests at night when a mob suddenly decides to cross the road at night.  Here is more on these clever guys: Red Kangaroo

Thanks for playing along 😉